Klamath Today

[WillJ]

Sculpin,
Keep us posted on your "line splicing experiments", would love to hear what you come up with.
Like I said, I'm "almost" completely satisfied with my rig for the Rogue.
Sometimes I do a double take with my rod when I'm mending and I feel like I'm missing the top section. Which leads me to think I probably wouldn't mind an extra foot and a half.
When pushing big flies & weight from the bank I think you have to overline to get any kind of distance. I know I do.
$0.2.
-Will

[sculpin]

WillJ
Bubzilla is the Master at roll/singlehand spey casting big heavy bugs and his line of choice is the Rio S/SH line. He was using a 9.5 rod but has moved to a 10'. I use a 10' rod for single hand casting as well. I have spliced a few things together using shooting heads and they worked on the lighter spey rods. When I moved up in rod weight I have to start over. The first thing I want to try is cutting the head off the Rio S/SH line and turning it around. I think it will work and really like how the Rio line rides in the water and doesn't seem to stick like some lines do. I just need to get Bubz drunk and make him think it's a good idea to cut up his new 10wt line in the name of science.
If you are in the SO. Oregon or traveling in the area we should get together sometime and you can try out what I am playing with.

Mark

[bubzilla]

I just need to get Bubz drunk and make him think it's a good idea to cut up his new 10wt line in the name of science.

That's what it's going to take, too!!!!

[WillJ]

Mark,
I am in the area (SO. Oregon) and would love to take you up on that.
I think at this point just watching someone that could really push some line out, single-hand & roll casting, would be a real benefit to me. It's really distance and overall enjoyability of casting that I'm looking for improvement on.
I'll have to take a look at the diagram on the RIO box to really get what you're talking about. the front end on that AS/S line is the most abrupt taper I've ever seen. I'm always open to donating for science :D
Took my buddy out today and let him use my set up and I used my RIO Versa-Tip line with the floating head on it. What a f*ing joke that is. once your past the very short head it's like trying to mend sinking running line. Good thing we were only fishing at about 10 feet.
Of course I'm watching him cast 25-30ft pretty easily and it's his first time. That line just casts.
Anyway, would love to hook up sometime. This coming weekend (thurs-sun) I'm gonna split 4 days between the Rogue & Klamath with a good friend & accomplished fisherman that haunts this board as well. If you've got time in there give me a shout. Or leave an address where I can reach you.
Thanks!
Will (in Ashland)
willj@mind.net

[PatrickM]

I'll go along with the 'good friend" bit, but I'm not so sure about being an "accomplished fisherman." Looking forward to hitting the Rogue and Klamath with you, Will. Maybe we'll get to meet some of the So. Oregon crew that post here too?

[bubzilla]

Will,

The VersaTip does have a short head, but so do some lines specifically designed for indicator nymphing, e.g., the Kelly Galloup Indicator line avaible from Teeny. Lines with short heads have all their mass upfront and therefore make it easy to turn over heavy flies, shot, and indicators. It's exactly the same laws of physics that make it easier to cast big copper tube flies and long chunks of T-14 with a Skagit head than with a longer head spey line. Precisely the same principle. You can nymph very effectively with a short head line--it's just done best slightly differently than it is with a long belly line.

If you research the way most Great Lakes guys nymph for steelhead, you'll see that they use short head lines. They cast out and then steer, or "walk", their fly(s) into the slot with a high rod tip. Done correctly, there's no reason to throw mends with the rod--which is good, becasue again like with the Skagit head example, you can't. The short head is less prone to be swung wildly by compex currents between you and your fly(s) than a long head, and holding the rod tip high further reduces the problem. Also, thinking about your target zone as downstream at a 45--as opposed to straight out--will help with the short heads, too. Just set up the cast and lead the fly(s) through the bucket.

Although the GL guys generally fish smaller rivers, you can do the same thing at pretty good distances as well (50-60 feet easy enough). I personally prefer the longer head lines because I like to use MUCH lighter flies and less added weight--achieving depth by stack mending instead. But if I were going to go back to using more traditional type steelhead nymphs, in terms of size and weight, I wouldn't shy from a shorter belly line in the least. It's not my style of nymphing for steelhead, but it's deadly in its own right.

[WillJ]

B,
Trying to stay with you there. Think I get what you mean by "dragging" the flies into position as opposed to stacking them up. Getting your "mend" by having less line between you and your float. It also makes sense that the short head would be less influenced by current than the longer bellied line.
I guess I wasn't dyin out there with the line, it's a good backup system, but the loop-to-loop system was rough going through the guides and the line below the taper really sunk. Then again I didn't get the line for the floating head section.
:D
Appreciate your thoughts,
-W